Gibault falls just short of tourney title in Pinckneyville
Gibault fought hard all day, but in the end, it just wasn’t enough.
The Hawks lost a heartbreaker to Carterville on Saturday night, a 65-61 overtime loss in the championship game of the Duster Thomas Hoops Classic at Pinckneyville High School after winning a nailbiter against the host team earlier in the day to get there. Sophomore Trevor Davis turned in a spectacular performance, scoring 24 points in the loss.
It was clear from the opening tip that the title game would be a battle that would come down to the wire. Gibault and Carterville went back and forth all night, starting with a fast-paced opening quarter which saw several lead changes. Davis’s three-pointer gave the Hawks a 17-11 advantage after one.
Centerville came alive in the second quarter, using defense and hot shooting to go on a big run and take a four-point lead. It looked as if the Lions might pull away, but Davis and Brian Deterding — two of the Hawks’ stars of the tournament — kept their team in the game with some nice work in the paint. Gibault trailed 31-28 at halftime.
The see-saw game continued into the second half. The Hawks cut the Lions lead to a single point on several occasions, but Carterville answered every challenge with a basket of their own. Three-pointers on back-to-back possessions gave Carterville a seven-point lead, but Davis once again helped his team back in the game, stealing a pass, dribbling the length of the court and finishing with a thunderous dunk as the third quarter buzzer sounded. The Lions held a 43-38 advantage heading into the final frame, but Gibault seemed to have seized the momentum.
The Hawks continued to chip away in the fourth quarter. After a couple of Deterding layups and a Jacob Rueter jumper, the score was tied at 49. Carterville scored a basket on its next possession, but Gibault responded with a big bucket of its own when Zach Rueter hit a layup while being fouled. Rueter hit the ensuing free throw to complete the three-point play and give his team a 52-51 lead. A Deterding steal and lay-in helped the Hawks extend the lead to three points with 45 seconds left, but the Lions, hot from behind the arc all night, hit a big-time three with 30 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
With momentum on its side, Carterville continued to shoot lights out from three-point land. The Hawks continued to battle until the very end, but couldn’t get enough shots to fall, eventually losing by four despite a valiant effort. Davis, Deterding and Jacob Rueter were all named to the All-Tournament Team.
Davis comes through in clutch against Pinckneyville
Gibault reached the title game by earning a tense thriller over host Pinckneyville, 41-39, earlier on Saturday. Davis led the way with 14 points, while Jacob Rueter added 12.
The game was defined by runs. The Hawks jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead, but the Panthers stormed back and tied the game at 9-9 just before the end of the first quarter. Pinckneyville’s big run continued into the second quarter, using hot shooting from behind the arc and the free throw line to take a 22-13 lead into the half.
Gibault came out firing in the second half, catching fire from three-point land. Davis, Jacob Rueter and Jacob Bircher hit big threes to help the Hawks go on a 15-4 third quarter run to get back into the game, but Gibault still faced a two-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter.
The Hawks continued to fight, and used another big run to tie the game at 39 all with two minutes to play. A couple of missed shots for both teams set Gibault up for one final shot, and Davis delivered with a game-winning jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining to send the Hawks into the final.